In a surprise move, PlayStation Now has gone all game pass on us and has decided to release a day one game for March.
The news was announced via a blogpost that Shadow Warrior 3 which is coming to PlayStation on the first of March will be available on PlayStation Now on the day of its release.
PlayStation Now is one of the less popular streaming services and this is probably because its offerings not only are few and far between but also usually older games, whereas subscriptions such as Xbox Game Pass feature games that are free from the day they are released.
Is this a sign that Sony is going to be fighting back against their war on Xbox and will this equate to an increase in subscriptions for PlayStation NOW?
March’s new offerings for PlayStation Now haven’t been announced as yet but you can bet, they will be older titles as we have seen every month so far.
PlayStation Now offers numerous older games and also allows for backward compatibility which allows subscribers to play PS3 games on PS5, but do note that these older games can only be streamed and not downloaded to your account.
There have been rumours floating around recently that PlayStation Now is looking to compete with Game Pass and that Sony might combine PlayStation Now and PlayStation Plus into a new service, but nothing has been confirmed as yet. If this is true it will be interesting to see what changes PlayStation has in store for its subscription services and how they will affect subscribers.
Shadow Warrior 3 revolves around a fallen corporate shogun Lo Wang and his former employer turned nemesis turned sidekick Orochi Zilla. The pair embark on an improbable mission to recapture an ancient dragon they unwittingly released from its eternal prison. Armed with blades and bullets Lo Wang must explore uncharted parts of the world to track down the dragon and halt the apocalypse.
In-game you will have access to both gun and Katana sword in the fight against the evil dragon. The game boasts nimble and quick footwork with air dashes, double jumps, wall running, and a fancy new grappling hook. Your character also has the ability to execute spectacular finishing moves and has access to powerful magic.
Each area has unique dangerous structures and devices that can be used to your advantage in combat in this mythic Asian land of magic and “yokai” which are demonic creatures from Japanese folklore.
This game will most probably attract fans of the Shadow Warrior franchise to the subscription service, which is most likely the aim of the whole exercise.
Is this the beginning of a trend? And will PlayStation Now be bringing us new day-one games every month and with more frequency? No one knows yet but we will be keeping our ears to the ground to make sure we are among the first to know.